Pretty hopeless. I look at the nzherald.co.nz every day, and fairly closely, and have never seen anything on - or via - the site that was under the Volume banner. Truth be told, I'd already long forgotten that it even existed.

I'm really disappointed at this. One of the best mags of its type I've ever seen, and if someone of my age with a more peripheral interest in today's acts could get something out of every issue, then they must be doing something right.

As for web presence, I couldn't find it either after I first picked up the mag, thus I resorted to the FB page for subscribing. I think they could have used FB more to drive traffic to their "real" site, wherever it might have been.

Which I found to be quite a dis-engaging way to have the mag online. It may be me, perhaps I'm not interface friendly, but it just didn't sell the online version to me. Much better if it had been a proper dedicated site, with some then optionable web-only content etc. Sucks to lose the mg, although I'm sure Sam's talents will keep on shining. Feel honoured to part of the cover shenanigans now this is the last edition!

It does strike me that:- print publishing is a good way to lose money fast- web publishing lets you lose money more slowly, depending on the scale of promotion, etc- the only people who buy/read print magazines are those to old and/or stupid to work the internets- the recorded music industry is in decline and has shrinking ad budgets

So making a new print magazine aimed at youngish music fans seems to me as a good way to fail.

Parkside media who cover the NZ petrolhead and gadget beat with print magazines and a bit of online had a perfectly serviceable local Mac publication that sold quite well at newstands but did not sell enough advertising for the owner, so was extinguished. Which was a shame as for example writers covered Macs in NZ education, real articles not just advertorial like the imported $20+ mac mags.

Computer mags are not everyones cup of, and ‘Rich’ above is rather cruel but on the mark. I used to be a magazine junkie but now buy only ones I might keep for various reasons. Most of my news and culture is now via internet. But cry me a river publishers if you treat your readers with disdain for whatever reason.

- the only people who buy/read print magazines are those to old and/or stupid to work the internets- the recorded music industry is in decline and has shrinking ad budgets

Volume wasn't for sale -- it's a free street mag -- and it seemed to be well-read within its target market.

And while recorded music sales might be on a long decline, live music has never been a bigger business in New Zealand than it is now. There are multiple promoters, ticketing agencies and venues and a striking number of tours. Volume also provided a cost-effective advertising option for recorded music sales.

That said, it has been suggested to me that the execution of ad sales could have been smarter, and that the healthy-looking sales didn't deliver as much revenue as they should have. But I don't know if that's correct.

RIP (turn) It Up…Good grief, how does APN think these things work?I once found that PDF reader version of Volume, but it was very clunky and unfriendly, so I never returned.Luckily free copies appear regularly at my local library (Shirley, Chch) or at Cosmic Corner so I would make a regular trip down to get a copy. The print mag was a fine incarnation of a street music mag, with seemingly a lot of advertising – but absolutely no indication that there might be a vital web presence – aside from the small mention of a Facebook page and Twitter link on the inside colophon, where all the staff have @volumemagazine.co.nz, so trying that as a web address just takes you to the Facebook page – and I don’t do Facebook – there are no obvious links to Volume on the Herald flagship site and only one of 3 Volumes I just flicked through even had a link to the Herald page! (albeit small) They created a strong brand that they never followed through on - madness!Why would they not try and piggy back or add premiums to their advertisers to have their ads carried into the web environment ?Just what was their business model for making money out of something no one really knew existed?Hell even having the Facebook address large on the cover might have helped get a few more visitors.Oh well, they have just effectively thrown away an always aging youth market they could’ve groomed into happy humans and Herald readers. (possibly an oxymoronic conceptMuppets!

I’d just like to say thanks to Sam Wicks and the team for all their hard work on an excellent magazine that has died because their bosses have no vision or clue.Sigh…

- the only people who buy/read print magazines are those to old and/or stupid to work the internets

I guess I don't buy as many magazines as I used to but this just silly. I don't believe that a computer is the end-all for media consumption. Would you apply the same reasoning to (physical) books as well?

That said, it has been suggested to me that the execution of ad sales could have been smarter, and that the healthy-looking sales didn't deliver as much revenue as they should have.

I was told something similar in the past few days - about the number of ads given away/heavily discounted in order to get others in, but likewise:

But I don't know if that's correct.

If I had a record voucher for every worthy NZ music publication that's disappeared over the years.... the history is not good.

And I don't think it has anything much to do with collapsing industries - as Russell says the live industry is strong and they advertise. Mostly it's to do with the economics of running a niche publication in a tiny market.

How most magazines - aside from the pulp merchants - survive or have survived in NZ over the years is still beyond me. I have huge respect for those that do and I'd hoped that Volume would survive because it was a worthwhile addendum to a bigger brand - but that assumed APN had a broad vision and of that there seems to be little evidence these days.

I guess I don't buy as many magazines as I used to but this just silly. I don't believe that a computer is the end-all for media consumption. Would you apply the same reasoning to (physical) books as well?

Yeah, I would. I haven't bought a physical book since I got an iPad. Dead tree books are heavy, awkward, low-density pains in the ass. I expect that, much like vinyl records, physical books will become a niche market for people who simply must read on paper. Or trophies - it's quite hard to get an author to sign your ebook.

We subscribe to Vanity Fair and the New Yorker -- they arrive in the post 1-3 weeks after US publication. I can't recall what TNY costs, but we just renewed the Vanity Fair sub and its about NZ$5 a copy.

And you can enter your subscriber number and get the issues free on publication via the iTunes store.

Conde Nast knows what it's doing.

Sadly, it's impossible to subscribe to Entertainment Weekly from NZ. If it was possible, we'd do it.

Magazines. I love them. Sight & Sound, Atlantic, Onfilm, The Word, North & South. et al There is something about a shiny magazine which iPad cannot muster. Don't get much time to read books, other than for reviewing. A RNZ journalist friend has been passing on copies of The Walkley Magazine (Aussie journos monthly) which is rather good. Wish we had a NZ equivalent.

- the only people who buy/read print magazines are those to old and/or stupid to work the internets

I object most strongly to that. I spend a lot of time online, but I also buy lots of print. For one thing it's nice to sit in a restaurant on one of my quiet days (or in a classroom when my 2nd year students are all late again) and read the old fashioned way. There's a simple aesthetic pleasure about the tactile and olfactory experience of dead trees in hand that no amount or gadgetry can ever match. Secondly, gadgets break, power goes out, batteries go flat. Those who are now dependent on all the fancy new technology are setting themselves up for a hell of a shock. High tech is good, but sometimes old tech and low tech are best tech.

What a shame, Volume is the best street music mag seen in Auckland since early Rip It Up. Popular too - The owner of a cafe on K Rd has been trying to catch whoever delivers a box of Real Groove magazines and dumps them on him every week. He told me only 2 or 3 get taken out of the box ( of a 100 ) each week. He was more than happy with getting a box of Volume - bummer